Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (5/245)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

This is due to the saying of Allah, Exalted is He:

“Say, ‘The Angel of Death, who has been entrusted with you, will take you in death.’” [al-Sajdah 32:11]

Calling him ʿAzrāʾīl is not established from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him; rather, it comes from reports of the Children of Israel. Only five names of angels have been established: Gabriel, Michael, Israfil, Malik, and Riḍwān. These, then, are the established names among those who undertake duties concerning Allah’s servants. As for Munkar and Nakīr, who question the deceased in his grave, many scholars have denied their names, although reports concerning them have been transmitted.

What matters is that the Angel of Death is not called ʿAzrāʾīl, because this has not been established from the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. This is one of the matters of the Unseen, whose affirmation or denial depends upon what has come in the Sacred Law.

Furthermore, the Angel of Death has assistants who help him draw the soul out of the body until they bring it to the throat; once they bring it to the throat, the Angel of Death takes it. Allah, Exalted is He, has attributed the taking of souls in death to Himself, to His messengers—that is, the angels—and to a single angel. Allah, Exalted is He, says:

“Allah takes the souls at the time of their death.” [al-Zumar 39:42]

He attributed it to a single angel in His saying:

“Say, ‘The Angel of Death, who has been entrusted with you, will take you in death.’” [al-Sajdah 32:11]

And He attributed it to the angels in His saying:

“Then, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him in death, and they do not fail in their duty.” [al-Anʿām 6:61]

There is no contradiction between these verses. Allah attributed it to Himself because it occurs by His command; He attributed it to the angels because they are assistants to the Angel of Death; and He attributed it to the Angel of Death because he is the one who takes the soul from the body.

His statement, “It is sunnah to keep his throat moistened with water or a drink,” means that it is recommended to

لقوله تعالى: ﴿قُلْ يَتَوفَّاكُمْ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ﴾ [السجدة: ١١]، وتسميته (عزرائيل) لم تثبت عن النبي ﷺ إنما هي من أخبار بني إسرائيل، ولم يثبت من أسماء الملائكة إلا خمسة أسماء، وهي: جبرائيل، وميكائيل، وإسرافيل، ومالك، ورضوان، فهذه هي الأسماء الثابتة فيمن يتولون أعمال العباد، فأما (منكر ونكير) اللّذان يسألان الميت في قبره، فقد أنكرهما كثير من أهل العلم، ولكن وردت فيهما آثار. والمهم: أن ملك الموت لا يسمى عزرائيل؛ لأنه لم يثبت عن الرسول ﷺ، وهذا من الأمور الغيبية التي يتوقف إثباتها ونفيها على ما ورد به الشرع. ثم إن ملك الموت له أعوان يعينونه على إخراج الروح من الجسد حتى يوصلوها إلى الحلقوم، فإذا أوصلوها إلى الحلقوم قبضها ملك الموت، وقد أضاف الله تعالى الوفاة إلى نفسه، وإلى رسله أي: الملائكة، وإلى ملك واحد، فقال الله تعالى: ﴿اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الأَنْفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا﴾ [الزمر: ٤٢]، وأضافها إلى ملك واحد في قوله تعالى: ﴿قُلْ يَتَوفَّاكُمْ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ﴾ [السجدة: ١١]، وإلى الملائكة في قوله: ﴿حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَهُمْ لَا يُفَرِّطُونَ﴾ [الأنعام: ٦١]، ولا معارضة بين هذه الآيات، فأضافه الله إلى نفسه؛ لأنه واقع بأمره، وأضافه إلى الملائكة؛ لأنهم أعوان لملك الموت، وأضافه إلى ملك الموت؛ لأنه هو الذي تولى قبضها من البدن. قوله: «سُنَّ تعاهد بلّ حلقه بماء أو شراب»، أي: يسن أن